Time Waits for No One
by heartbends
Summary: AU. Lucas never joined the basketball team and life for Peyton, Nathan and Lucas is changed dramatically. Nathan and Peyton are married, and Lucas comes back to town to write an article about Peyton's popular art gallery. Lucas/Peyton & Nathan Peyton
1. Chapter 1

_Dear Mrs. Scott,_

_I am writing you from the Raleigh Times, hoping that you will allow me the pleasure of writing an article about your art gallery, for a special project we are doing here at the Times. We are each writing an article about a surprising and successful business in our home towns. I was impressed by your latest show using recycled products around Tree Hill to create sculptures. _

_I hope you will allow me the great pleasure of writing this article about your gallery. I look forward to hearing from you soon._

_Sincerely, _

_Lucas Scott _

_Sports, Arts, and Leisure. _

A rush of different emotions ran over Peyton as she read the unexpected email.

At first she felt flattered, of course she was flattered. She had leased the gallery only a year and a half ago and it had already seemed to be more successful than she ever imagined. Not only did she have regular clients purchasing her own work but other local artists requesting to have their work in her gallery.

Secondly, she felt awkward. How was she supposed to feel? Her husband's estranged brother wanted to write an article on her art gallery.

Then she felt excited.

_Lucas,_

_I would be thrilled to have you do an article on the gallery. Please give me a call to set up the appointment. I am in the gallery Tuesday through Saturday 10 AM till 3 PM, unless I have a show. _

_My website has a list of upcoming shows, if you are interested. Thank you, again for the opportunity. I am truly speechless. _

_Peyton Sawyer-Scott._

…

Nathan Scott was very underwhelmed with his professional life. He pictured things very differently as a teenager in high school. He didn't think he would be working for his father at 25 years old, selling cars, and miserable doing it.

He dreamed he would be a famous basketball player, and living the life he dreamed of.

He also didn't think he would have married his high school sweetheart, _sort of._

Peyton had broken up with him after prom their senior year when she found out he had taken Rachel Gatina outside during the prom. They had made a scene in the gym of Tree Hill High that everyone had talked about for weeks. She had refused to speak to him afterwards, despite all his efforts to win her back.

She even started locking the door to her house.

He was a total dick back then.

He lived pretty recklessly after that. He stayed busy with every eligible senior from Tree Hill High all summer, and then started on the freshman class of Duke University in the fall.

And, yet...

He got drunk on more than a couple of occasions and texted Peyton that he missed her.

She had always ignored his texts.

He never imagined that drinking every night, hooking up with countless girls who cared he was a star athlete would be so empty.

"Nathan, your wife is here." Tim wiggled his eyebrows at him, disrupting his thoughts "I'll send her in."

"Thanks." Nathan rubbed his forehead and sighed. He was glad to have the distraction from paperwork. He looked up and saw Peyton chatting with Tim, and scoffing. He walked over and leaned into the doorway of his office. "Dude."

"I'm going, I'm going. I was just telling Peyton she looked beautiful today."

"That's not exactly what you sa-"

"Bye, now! Enjoy your visit."

Peyton rolled her eyes dramatically and smiled at Nathan. "Hey there, I brought you some lunch. It's not healthy or workout friendly, but it's delicious."

Nathan grinned and moved to let her in his office. "You're sabotaging my six pack."

Peyton put the brown bag down on his desk and sat on the edge of the desk grinning at him. "No one else needs to even know you have a six pack, except for me."

"Ah, of course." Nathan moved closer to her and pecked her cheek before taking a bite of the sandwich. "Not that I don't appreciate the visit and the view, but what's up?" He tilted his head trying to read her expression "You rarely ever visit at work, especially on Friday's when Tim is here."

"I forgot to check the schedule." she replied sarcastically and stole a chip off of his napkin. "Plus, can't I visit my husband?"

"You can always visit, you just don't." He grinned a little and took another bite of his sandwich. "Where did you get this?"

"Karen's Cafe." she tilted her head to the side and sighed a little. "I have news. Good news, but also weird news."

Nathan chuckled as he sat down in his chair. "Hit me with it."

"So I had an inquiry about writing about the gallery today. For the Raleigh Times. It seems like it's going to be part of an ongoing weekly article spread about hometown talent."

Nathan quirked his eyebrow. "You aren't from Raleigh."

"No," Peyton pursed her lips. "It's Lucas. He wants to write the article"

"Shit." Nathan muttered before taking the final bite of his sandwich. Lucas was a name he hadn't heard in at least 5 years. It was almost like he was a ghost. Not that he had ever been a part of his life, he just hadn't thought of him in years.

He had barely thought of him much since he almost joined the basketball team their junior year. He did always have a nagging thought that he had a crush on Peyton in high school but it seemed nothing had ever come of it.

Peyton had been a great wife, girlfriend, and even friend to him. She always supported him, and called him on his shit. She didn't let him get away with his typical bull shit like everyone else. She had been there for him when no one else was.

"That's awesome. You should do it."

Peyton's eyes lit up immediately, "Really?"

"Hell yeah! That's amazing, babe, really. You deserve a million articles written about you, this is just the first. He closed the space between them and kissed her on the nose. "You're gonna be great. If you need help with anything, you know I'm down."

Peyton slid off the desk and wrapped her arms around Nathan's neck tightly. "I don't know what I would ever do without you." 

"Good thing we got married so you're stuck with me." he joked before pulling away from her. "I'm proud of you." 

Relief flooded over Peyton immediately. Nathan was incredibly supportive, but it was also his estranged half-brother writing an article on his sister-in-law. Weirder than weird, but this was Tree Hill, after all.

"Well, let me go get dad's dog."

Nathan started to grumble as he pulled away. "Oh great."

She grinned and patted the side of his face. "You'll be okay, Nathan Scott. I can see it already."

…

Larry Sawyer was a frustrating man.

Peyton knew this to be certain at twelve years old but she was even more certain of it now that she was an adult. Growing up with a dead mom and an absent father can really make you feel feel a bit jaded.

The summer she turned twenty-one, two months before her wedding, her father decided he was giving up the sea and wanted to be there for Peyton (and as an extension, Nathan) during her wedding.

He had even gotten a dog.

It lasted less than a month before he got tired of trying to find a "normal" job and returned to the sea, leaving Peyton to walk herself down the aisle and with an adopted dog sister.

Her dad was out of town for months at a time, and returned for a week before leaving again, which had left her pretty much solely responsible for her dad's impulse Golden Retriever, Rose. She picked her up like clock work the day her dad went out of town and returned him the day he was supposed to arrive home.

It broke her heart every single time Rose cried when she took her back to her dad's, but she couldn't bear to break her dad's heart. When she picked Rose up she would buy her a pup-a-chino and the same routine when she brought her back to her dad's house.

She opened the door and immediately Rose begged for her attention. She put the leash around her neck and started walking her to the car. "Let's get a coffee and head to the gallery, sweet girl." she smiled as Rose jumped into the passenger's seat and waited for Peyton to take her on their adventure.

….

Karen's Cafe had become increasingly more successful in the last few years, and Karen had been relieved. She had kept doing open mic nights after Haley had suggested them to her years ago and started to also serve beer and wine to have a late night crowd.

Business was good. Haley would always make sure to make a local stop at the cafe when she was in town, which always would bring in a bigger crowd than usual. She was always happy for that.

Karen looked outside and saw a head of curly blonde hair bouncing into the cafe. She smiled fondly as Peyton walked in and waved. "Peyton, back so soon?"

"I have Rose, and of course she wants her pup-a-chino, and I need the strongest, blackest coffee you have."

"Of course." Karen smiled softly and poured Peyton a cup of coffee and put some whipped cream in a seperate cup. "You're spoiling her."

"I know, but she's not my dog, it's like I'm a baby sitter."

Karen chucked a little ringing up Peyton's coffee. "She's your dog."

"Now Karen…" Peyton said teasingly pulling out a five dollar bill. "Keep the change."

Karen smiled fondly and put the change in the tips jar. "We are having a band tonight, you and Nathan should come out."

"Maybe." Peyton took a long sip of her coffee and shuffled her feet a little. "Lucas is going to write an article about my gallery."

"Wonderful." Karen smiled, knowingly. Lucas had asked her a few weeks prior about a few local businesses. He didn't want to be biased and pick his mother. Karen had suggested a few other small business owners but she was very excited Lucas had decided to go with Peyton's gallery. "I'm sure it'll be a lot of positive exposure for the gallery."

"Yeah, I think so." Peyton glanced back to the car and picked up the other to-go cup and nodded towards the outside. "I have to go, but thank you again. I might see you tonight."

Karen smiled and nodded, knowing she wouldn't see Peyton tonight. Peyton or Nathan rarely made appearances outside of work or the gallery. She would occasionally see them pick up Chinese food across the street but rarely much else.

Nathan had become somewhat of a homebody since moving back to Tree Hill, and Peyton kept busy opening and now running her gallery.

It seemed to work for them.

…

Lucas Scott was exhausted. He had been writing articles about college teams all day, back to back and it was all starting to bleed together. How could he possibly write another article about the same player as last week?

Sports journalism was mind boggling.

He opened his email, not expecting to see much before heading home for the day. He had his fingers crossed that he would hear back from the editor about a piece he had suggested for the creative arts section of the paper.

Instead he saw an email from Peyton Sawyer.

_Scott_.

He was relieved Peyton had decided to let him write the article on her gallery. He was worried he would end up having to write it on the comic book shop that was barely staying open, even with all the new Marvel movies coming out monthly.

He quickly replied to the email with his itinerary and when he would be back in town. It worked out, really. His mom's birthday was two weeks away and he could get paid to visit her. It was a win/win situation.

He wasn't so sure he was looking forward to spending that much time in Tree Hill, and he was bound to run into Dan, and especially Nathan. He couldn't help but wonder what his reaction had been.

Lucas knew very little about Peyton and Nathan's relationship outside the fact that they were dysfunctional in high school and broke up constantly. He probably only paid attention to this because of his unrequited crush on Peyton. He seemed to notice most things about Peyton. He still did.

He closed his laptop, packing up his things for the day. Going back to Tree Hill would at the very least, be interesting.

**Author's Note:** I have had this fanfiction idea for MONTHS. I also realize that there is possibly very little audience for this fic, and I also realize that I have not written fanfiction i years. TEN?! I'm so, so rusty, forgive me. I hope you all will enjoy this and be patient with me, it's going to (hopefully) be interesting.

So, here's some story notes: I do want to admit to you right now that I don't know with 100% certainty if this is a Lucas/Peyton fanfiction or a Nathan/Peyton fanfiction. On the one hand, Lucas and Peyton are about to have an intense connection, ala season one, but Nathan and Peyton have an interesting relationship/marriage that you will see in later chapters.

With that being said, every other chapter will be a flashback. They may appear out of order but it will be relevant to the plot, I promise. Those chapters will also be shorter and I plan to have another chapter up this week. I have the bones of this worked out, I just can't decide on the ending.


	2. Chapter 2

**Note:** To say that this story has mixed reviews would be an understatement. I have had about half and half tell me they hate Nathan/Peyton and half say they are excited to read something different. I do know for sure this won't be a Nathan/Haley fic so if you're sticking around of that, fair warning get out now, haha.

Anyway, here's another chapter. It is shorter and also a flashback.

….

_Peyton groaned as she felt someone shaking her awake. She opened her eyes to see her brown haired best friend giving her a dimpled grin. "It's prom day, P. Sawyer, why on earth are you still asleep?"_

"_Because it's 9 in the morning and I'm normal." she moaned rubbing her eyes before begrudgingly sitting up in the bed. "Why are you so chipper in the mornings? It's ridiculous."_

"_Well, if you must know, it's my wonderful personality." she shrugged her shoulders and hung her dress on Peyton's door. "We need to do face masks and mani pedi. Plus I want to go to the MAC store and see if I can't find a new blush."_

"_I need sleep and a shower, do the rest without me." Peyton absolutely hated waking up, almost as much as she hated organized school functions. "I don't even want to go."_

_Brooke rolled her eyes plopping in the bed beside her. "You're going first of all, and second of all you're definitely going because I'm going to be prom queen." she patted Peyton's curls sympathetically. "But, we can maybe sleep for another hour or so." Brooke snuggled herself down into Peyton's bed and closed her eyes._

…

_It was only an hour before Nathan was supposed to pick her up and Peyton was still in her robe. Brooke was frantically moving around the room pinning and unpinning her hair. "You need to put on your dress."_

_Peyton rolled her eyes and went to her closet and pulled out her black prom dress. She did have to admit, she loved the dress. It was a simple black dress with sequins on the bosom, but still managed to be subtle, unlike Brooke's dress that was very, very Brooke-like._

"_Zip me up, P." Peyton shook her head and walked over to Brooke and zipped up the back of her form fitting red dress. It was sequined at the top and had a split up the front. _

"_You look gorgeous Brooke."_

"_So will you if you would get that dress on your skinny ass." she turned around and tilted her head "annnnd if you would put on just a little eyeliner."_

_Peyton grumbled as she took her dress off the hanger and slid on her dress, and Brooke was immediately there to zip her up._

"_Perfect." Brooke tilted her head and smiled at the reflection of the two of them in the mirror. "I think we need a selfie-"_

"_Ugggggh."_

"_Peyton, don't be dramatic, you knew this would happen. We are only young once, and this is our last stupid school dance." Brooke sounded nostalgic as she took out her cellphone. She had always lived for school functions and really enjoyed everything that came with it. "Smile, don't be depressed."_

_Peyton rolled her eyes and smiled for Brooke's selfie. It was the least she could do for her best friend, after all._

_A long and loud honk came from outside Peyton's window and Brooke rolled her eyes and huffed. "Nathan is such an ass, why can't he walk to the door like a __**normal **__date?"_

_Peyton shrugged her shoulders and looked out the window to see Nathan's car in her driveway. She wasn't much on traditions but it would have been nice if he had at the very least, knocked on her door. "Do you want me to wait with you until Jake gets here?"_

"_Uh, no. I'm fine by myself. I'm just annoyed Nathan is such an asshole."_

_Peyton nodded and grabbed her bag, stuffing her lipstick and flask Nathan had given her last week for the occasion. "I'll see you there, prom queen."_

_Brooke gave her a dimpled smile. "You got it."_

…

"_It took you long enough." Nathan huffed as Peyton slid into the passenger seat of his car. _

_Peyton could already smell beer wafting from his side of the car and wrinkled her nose. She wasn't sure how much or how long Nathan had been drinking but his mood was typical. "Sorry, I thought you might come to the door for once."_

_Nathan shrugged his shoulder reaching into his tux jacket for his flask. "You know me and Brooke don't vibe." he took a slow sip from his flask before placing it back in his jacket. "You look nice."_

_Peyton's mouth twitched into a small smile as she buckled her seatbelt. "So do you." _

_"I know this." he leaned over and kissed her cheek before pulling out of her driveway and heading to the dance._

…

"_Well, don't you look like a typical slut tonight, Brooke." Rachel Gatina looked Brooke up and down before she stepped closer. "I know you're gunning for prom queen but why wouldn't you have tried to dress a little more classy?"_

"_Rachel, I really can't wait to graduate so I never have to see your face again." she brushed past the redheaded girl to slide up next to her best friend. "I hate Rachel so much." she rolled her eyes and looked around. "Where's Nathan?"_

"_Where's Jake?" Peyton inquired looking around. "Isn't he your date?"_

"_Duh, he's parking the car and then saving us a place in line to take pictures."_

"_Of course." Peyton chuckled a little bit and nodded towards the large group of boys near the punch bowl. "Nathan and his team are spiking the punch bowl, supposedly." _

_Brooke noticed Rachel infiltrating the group of basketball players near the punch bowl and screeched dramatically. "Can't she just act even remotely classy!?"_

"_You're giving her a hard time. Rachel isn't __**that **__bad."_

"_Mm." Brooke bobbed her head to the music and raised her eyebrow looking to Nathan and his 'gang' as she referred to them. "Is Nathan already drunk."_

"_Of course."_

"_Dump him." _

"_BROOKE!" _

"_I'm serious, Peyton. This has went on long enough. We are about to be adults and you already turned down moving to LA with me because of Nathan."  
_

_Peyton nodded a little and sighed. "It's not __**because **__of Nathan it-"_

"_Just promise me you will think about it again. This ship doesn't sail till June." Brooke bumped her hip into Peyton's and pulled on her arm. "Let's dance!"_

…

_Nathan leaned against the brick wall outside of the school, letting the cold air hit his face. He was completely drunk. He could feel the cool air calming his stomach. _

"_Nathan Scott." _

_He turned his head and saw Rachel standing at the entrance of the gym. "You look awful."_

"_Thanks." he grinned a little watching Rachel light up a cigarette. "Those will kill you, you know."_

"_So will whiskey."_

_Nathan shrugged his shoulders and decided to take another swig from his flask. "Not quick enough, I'm sure."_

"_Dark. No wonder Peyton likes you so much."_

_Nathan shrugged his shoulders, again and closed his eyes. His head was starting to feel swimmy headed. He felt the ground start to spin underneath his feet. He was truly drunk. _

"_I'm sure there are other reasons…" Nathan opened his eyes and saw Rachel standing directly in front of him, and felt her hands creep up his chest. "Like this.."_

_Nathan smirked slightly and closed his eyes again. "Rachel…"_

_He felt Rachel's warm lips press against his cold ones. She kissed him softly at first, and then more intensely, giving Nathan a dizzying feeling all over his body. He could feel himself getting lost in the moment of nothingness. Just being. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him._

_He felt like, in that moment he could just stay lost, forever. No expectations at all, just nothingness. _

"_Nathan?!"_

_He pulled away quickly and saw Peyton's face. She appeared to be a mix of hurt, anger, and disappointment. "Peyton, it's nothi-"_

"_Don't bother. Just leave me alone." _

_He could hear from her voice she was choking back tears. He wanted to follow her but he felt like his body was glued to the brick wall behind him. His stomach began to churn and before he knew it, he was throwing up on Rachel's expensive blue shoes._

"_Oh my __**god**__, Nathan!?"_

…

_Peyton felt her phone vibrating in her bag continuously for the past 15 minutes, as she walked aimlessly away from Tree Hill High. She couldn't stop the tears pouring out of her eyes and finally decided to stop and sit on top of a picnic table at the Rivercourt._

_She looked at her phone and had eight missed calls from Brooke as well as fifteen text messages. She shoved her phone back into her bag and buried her face into her hands. She knew she was being incredibly selfish not answering Brooke's calls right now, but she just couldn't. _

_Not right now._

"_Hey, you alright?" Peyton looked up and saw a somewhat familiar face in front of her. Lucas Scott had a basketball underneath his arm and slowly approached her. She sniffled a little wiping furiously at her eyes and quickly nodded. "You sure?"_

_"I said I was ok." she snapped before taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry. It's just been a long night." _

_Lucas nodded like he understood and bounced the basketball beside him a couple of times before clearing his throat. "I can give you a ride home, if you're walking."_

_Peyton's first initial gut reaction was to say no and tell him to fuck off, but she also realized that it was late, cold and she __**was **__walking._

_Lucas seemed harmless. _

"_Yeah, ok." _

_Lucas nodded a little and glanced back towards his truck. "You can sit here a minute if you want, I'll go warm up the truck."_

_Peyton nodded her head and rubbed her hands across her forearms, truly realizing how cold it was for the first time since she had left the school. She couldn't bare to think of Nathan kissing Rachel. While she had told Brooke the reason she wouldn't go to LA with her wasn't because of Nathan, deep down it probably was. Even though she had never wanted to be that person, who ended up with her high school boyfriend, she couldn't let go of the familiarity of Nathan. _

_Nathan and Brooke were the only two constant people in her life. As often and as much as she fought with Nathan, he was still there. It felt safe and comfortable. _

_She started to feel sick to her stomach when she heard Lucas' footsteps again. She looked up at him, before sliding off the top of the picnic table. "Thank you, Lucas."_

_He nodded and stuffed his hands in the pockets of his hoodie. "No problem."_

_They walked to his truck in silence, Lucas opened the passenger side door and she slipped inside without a word. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the leather seat. She felt instant relief from the heater and sighed. _

"_You can pick the music if you want." Lucas said, jumping into the truck and slamming the door, rattling her from her thoughts._

_Peyton smiled a little bit and looked over at him. "I doubt we like the same types of music."_

_Lucas shrugged his shoulders. "Still your choice." _

_Peyton fiddled with his radio until she found an alternative station. "This'll do." _

_Dashbaord Confessional hummed from the speakers for a few minutes, before Peyton decided to break the silence."You didn't want to go to prom?"_

"_Not really my thing." Lucas chuckled a little bit glancing over towards her. "Doesn't seem like yours either."_

_Peyton quirked her brow and looked out the passenger window. "You don't know me."_

"_I didn't say that. Just seems a bit...organized." _

"_Yeah...but Brooke's my best friend and she was nominated for prom queen, blah blah blah." She shrugged her shoulders dismissively. _

"_Gotcha."_

_They stayed in silence again for a few minutes before Lucas pulled into a gas station, which caused Peyton's eyes to dart to him quickly. "What are you doing?"_

"_I need gas." he chuckled a little before getting out of the truck. _

_Peyton shook her head at herself before finally look at her phone and sending Brooke a quick "I'm ok, enjoy your night."_

_It was bad enough Nathan ruined her night, she wasn't going to let him ruin Brooke's too. _

_Lucas returned to the car and handed her a water bottle. She looked over at him and smiled gratefully. "Thanks."_

"_I'm not an expert or anything, but I figured you probably needed water."_

_Peyton nodded and leaned her head against the passenger window. She took a long sip from the water bottle and closed her eyes. What only felt like seconds later, she felt Lucas shake her arm gently. She opened her eyes and sat up. "I'm sorry."_

"_It's okay, I figured you were tired." He looked at the steering wheel and cleared his throat a little bit. "You know...you really deserve better than that."_

"_You don't know me." Peyton dismissed him quickly. "I appreciate the ride, but it doesn't mean you get me or understand what I'm going through."_

_"No problem. Have a good night." He nodded a little bit, taking a sip from his own water bottle. _

_Peyton took a deep breath and looked towards her empty house and bit her lip. She had no reason to be a bitch. Lucas had been perfectly helpful to her and he didn't deserve her backlash. "Thank you, Lucas. I appreciate it. It's just...hard to see that sometimes." _

"_You're welcome."_

_Peyton got out of the car and walked to her door quickly and going inside. For the first time in years, she locked her front door._

_From the window she saw that Lucas had waited until she was safely inside before backing out of her driveway. _

_All she could think of now, was sleep._

**Note:** Don't be too hard on Nathan just yet. Thank you guys for all the reviews! I'm hoping you will enjoy this chapter.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes: **Yikes, lol. Well, I will go ahead and disclaimer this now: there won't be a Jake/Peyton, Lucas/Haley, Brooke/Lucas pairing. I'm sorry y'all! Some side pairings may very well appear but as of right now, I don't think so. Brooke will make more appearances in this, both in flashbacks and current timeline, and as for Haley she's off being a cool alternative singer away from Tree Hill, so I doubt she will pop up. I hope you enjoy this chapter. If you aren't a fan of Nathan/Peyton or Lucas/Peyton this fanfiction probably isn't for you.

Over the last week Peyton had tried to think of what she wanted to say in her interview with Lucas. She wanted to focus on the point of the gallery, why she decided to open it in the first place, but she also didn't want to give too much away. The gallery was so incredibly special to her, and very personal.

She hoped she could put it all into words.

Lucas had asked to meet her for lunch at a place of her choosing. She had decided to pick the Tree Hill Bistro, she figured it was most appropriate since it was within walking distance of her gallery.

She sent Nathan a quick text about her lunch and waited patiently for Lucas to show up. She continued to think of what she wanted to say. Her gallery had been the best gift anyone had ever given her. Nathan had been so incredibly sincere and earnest when he bought her the space. She smiled fondly at his sheepish grin leading her to the empty space where the gallery was now.

She heard someone tap at her window which quickly brought her out of her thoughts. "Oh!" she exclaimed in surprise to see Lucas in front of her. She opened her car door and gave him a small wave. "Lucas, hey. Sorry I didn't see you pull in."

Lucas smiled politely and reached out to shake her hand. "Same car I see."

She nodded and shook Lucas' hand. She felt a warmth creep up the back of her neck as his hand touched hers. This is when she noticed for the first time how different he looked. More adult, for sure. He had a beard now and his hair was cut into a more modern style, parted on the side and well kept. "Yeah, can't give it up. Nathan begs me to get a new car at least once a month but I keep on refusing."

Lucas chuckled a little bit and nodded towards the Bistro. "Shall we?"

Peyton followed Lucas inside, she felt nervous suddenly. She hadn't felt these type of butterflies since she was a teenager, dating Nathan for the first time.

Once they were sat down by the hostess, Lucas got out his notepad and pen and sat it beside his napkin. "I'll take notes as we talk, I hope you don't mind. I usually do it on my phone but it comes off rude, especially in a restaurant."

"Whatever works." she swallowed hard before opening the menu. "I don't know what you like but pretty much everything here is good."

"It's on me. I have a company card that I rarely get to use, so whatever you want. I'm normally taken out by coaches and they tend to pay."

Peyton settled on a Ceasar salad. Her stomach felt too nervous to really focus on eating anything at all. She chalked up her nervousness to the interview. She was so worried she would say the wrong thing or seme ungrateful about this interview.

"Trying to watch your figure?" Lucas teased her. She chuckled a little and shrugged her shoulders. He gave her a dimpled grin before flipping open his notebook. "Okay, so while we wait on the food - what made you decide to open your gallery in the first place? Especially without a proper name."

Peyton smiled a little and took a sip of her water. She knew that would eventually come up. She never could decide on the right name. She and Nathan had brainstormed and nothing ever felt right so she had just settled on "The Gallery". It was the only art gallery in Tree Hill, so at the time it didn't seem so odd.

"I've always loved art, when I went to art school after high school I started to have a different perspective on art and really got an eye for it. I worked at a gallery while I was in college and was a pretty successful buyer. I didn't think about opening my own until I got back to Tree Hill and several people around town started asking me to find them art for local businesses as well as events. It sort of fell in my lap, you could say."

Lucas nodded and started to make notes. Peyton felt even _more _nervous, wondering exactly what he had written from what she said. "As far as the name, I had went over so many words that they all started to sound...hmmm...regular, which is obviously what I ended up with. A lot of people, especially my dad, thought it was a hipster move, but I was so close to my grand opening and didn't have a name that I just ordered window lettering that said "The Gallery" and went with it."

Lucas looked up at her and smiled. "I like it, you could have went with something area specific and corny. Tree Hill Art Gallery would have been regular and expected to me. It's simple. Chic, I guess."

"It does look good in black lettering." Peyton joked.

Lucas smiled and closed his notepad when the waitress came back with their food. "On second thought, will you bring a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon?"

After the waitress walked away Peyton smiled nervously. "I don't really drink, I'm sorry."

Lucas quirked his brow at her. "Really?"

"Yeah, not since college. I, well...we don't drink, I should say." It had been a long time since Peyton had even been questioned about drinking or alcohol. Most everyone in her life knew that she and Nathan had stopped drinking years ago. Peyton had done it to be supportive of Nathan and his journey, but it had just stuck.

She always knew she could drink when she wasn't home or around Nathan, he had never protested to either but she just felt that they were a team. She didn't want to tiptoe around alcohol and she had never really enjoyed it that much.

"Ah." Lucas nodded slightly. She knew he had probably been well aware of Nathan's 'problem' after high school. Most everyone was. He had lost his basketball scholarship over alcohol, so most everyone in Tree Hill was aware after he came back home.

Money can't buy everything.

"I'm sorry, Peyton. I should have asked. I'll ask if they will cork it and I'll bring it back to my mom's tonight."

"Oh no!" Peyton protested immediately. "You should drink it, I just didn't want you to wonder why I didn't."

"Well you're welcome to try it. I never really drank in high school and barely any in college. I dated someone a few years ago who loved wine and started to get a taste for it. She loved to spend time at winerys, we've been to so many on the East Coast."

"Mature drinking." Peyton joked, taking a bite of her salad. The food did nothing to calm her nervous stomach. Lucas had always been perfectly nice to her, and even now, he was so kind and easy to talk to.

She couldn't explain the flush that she felt all over her body. She just wanted it to go away. She tapped her fingers on the table and looked at Lucas and cleared her throat nervously. "I'll actually try a little. I never really drank much wine. Usually liquor and beer."

"You don't have to." he said quickly. "Don't feel pressured."

"No, no I want to." she hadn't had alcohol in years but she did remember that it used to make her feel a sense of calmness, as long as she didn't overdo it.

She felt like a teenager on her first awkward date and couldn't explain why. Nothing about this was remotely like a date.

…

Lucas hadn't seen Peyton in so long, other than occasionally on social media. He couldn't believe he was sitting here with her now, after all these years.

He still felt like she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He couldn't help but feel nervous, like he was trying to work up the nerve to talk to her, like he had in high school.

He felt so incredibly stupid.

He poured himself a glass of wine and took a long sip from it, hoping it would calm his nerves. He felt like an asshole ordering it without consulting with her. Maybe he wanted to seem impressive. "I'll pour you a glass if you would like." she nodded and he poured her a half-glass of wine. He filled his glass again before corking the bottle and placing it in the middle of the table.

Over the next half-hour he seemed to relax. The questions came more easily, as did the answers. He felt relieved when she laughed at his corny jokes and quips.

She didn't seem so hard and distant these days, like the girl he had known in high school, who rarely smiled. He had no reason to feel relief over this, but he did. He couldn't lie and say that she never crossed his mind. He thought about her much more often than was appropriate of him. She was, after all, technically his sister-in-law.

He glanced at her left hand and saw the large diamond on her finger, as well as the golden band wrapped around it. He felt like it looked foreign on her small fingers but looked away before he could think of it any longer. He had no right to feel anything about Peyton's marriage. Jealousy, envy, questioning, none of it.

"I would love to see the gallery." he noted, closing his notepad again. Between them they had polished off the bottle of wine and he felt fuzzy, and slightly more relaxed.

She smiled at him and took the last sip from her glass. "It's within walking distance. I know you wanted to come to one of the shows next week but it's always nice to be there when it's quiet. It's my thinking space."

Lucas paid the bill and followed Peyton across the street. He was aware Peyton's gallery was above a nightclub but he hadn't expected what he saw. They walked through the quiet club and Lucas had to admit he was impressed. It was a lot more upscale than he expected of a club in Tree Hill. "It's just up these stairs."

They walked the rest of the distance in silence, the only sound was the click of the lock, before Peyton opened her gallery. It was bright and full of colorful paintings and unique sculptures. He walked towards one of the bigger paintings in the gallery and admired it. It was of a girl peeling off her skin to reveal an alien beneath. It was a concept he had seen many times before, but something about the eyes of the girl in the painting drew him in. "I like this one a lot."

"It's mine. I painted it so long ago, back in high school or maybe a little afterwards." she rounded her desk to stand beside Lucas and look at the painting. "I just haven't ever sold it. I always end up saying no to all the offers, even though it's not even close to my style now." She felt the heat of his body next to hers and really felt his presence for the first time. She swallowed nervously and closed her eyes.

She thought this feeling had went away. The alcohol seemed to have only increase her awareness of Lucas and his presence.

He stepped away from her and cleared his throat. She could sense his nervousness now for the first time. She had thought he was just very cool and collected but could sense now that wasn't the case. "It's very impressive."

"Thank you." Peyton stepped back and walked towards her desk and sat on the edge of it. "I hope you mean that."

"I do. I'm not really going to say I have an eye for art or anything, but it's nice."

Peyton nodded slightly, still feeling the butterflies in her stomach and the heat at the back of her neck. She wasn't sure where this had come from. Maybe it was just someone being interested in _just her_ for the first time in years.

She felt incredibly silly.

She also felt incredibly guilty.

"The uh, show is next week. It should be nice, I have some new art coming in next week. If you wanted to see the process of that you could speak with my assistant. She brings in and prepares all the art for the shows."

Lucas nodded taking down the information down in his notepad. "Great. I really enjoyed our lunch and thank you. I'll be in touch about everything else."

"Of course. Thank you for lunch."

Lucas nodded before quickly exiting the gallery.

Peyton breathed a sigh of relief. All the tension in the room seemed to melt away immediately. She couldn't even believe herself.

She started to feel sick again. What was she thinking? Better yet, why was she thinking like this? The tension in the room shouldn't have existed, she couldn't figure out where it came from, or why.

Looking at her phone for the first time in hours she saw she had a missed call and text from Nathan.

'_Hope everything is going well, you're amazing anyone else would be stupid not to notice'_

**Note: I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Next one will be a flashback, again. I've structured this to be a 10-12 chapter fanfiction, depending on the ending. **


	4. Chapter 4

_A loud knock wakes Peyton from her peaceful slumber. She sits up immediately and rubs her eyes. She groans a little dramatically before hearing another knock at her door. She rubs her eyes, and trudges out of the bed. _

_Her roommate, Leslie, had lost her key, again. _

"_Leslie, I swear-" she tops in shock when she sees Nathan standing before her. She hasn't seen him in months, since graduation. His hair is longer and shaggy, hanging into his eyes. She notices that his eyes are bloodshot and he's soaking wet. She glances behind her and notices that there is rain pounding against her window. "Nathan." she breathes his name out slowly, truly confused by his presence. "Nathan... what are you doing here?"_

"_It's my mom...she…" Nathan rubbed the water out of his eyes and finally met Peyton's eyes for the first time. The tears were stinging the back of his eyes. He swallowed and looked at his feet again. "She died."_

_Peyton's mouth opened in shock. She moved forward and pulled his body against hers immediately. "Oh Nathan…" she ran her hands up until they rested on the nape of his neck._

"_I don't know what...fuck, I don't know what to do." He leaned forward and rested his forehead in her neck. He felt his body start to shake, and all he could do was cling to the small blonde girl in front of him._

_The girl who he had cheated on, showed every ugly side of himself, and she was still here for him in his time of need. "I'm so sorry, Nate." She whispered in his ear and rubbed his back. _

_After what felt like hours, Peyton pulled Nathan inside of her dorm. She gave him a towel and searched through her drawers from some clothes of his from when they dated. "I have some shorts and a t-shirt." she handed him the folded clothes and sat down on her bed._

_Nathan changed clothes silently. He walked over to small dorm window and looked outside. Peyton sat silently on the bed watching him, wondering what he could be thinking._

_She knew what it felt like to lose her mother. It was the hardest thing she had ever experienced in her life. _

_Her heart broke for Nathan. Deb had her issues, she drank too much and took a wide array of pills that she probably didn't need, but she loved Nathan more than anything. She had been the only person in his life who had stood up for him, and defended him. _

_Dan had always expected so much yet, praised him so little. _

"_I don't know what to do, Peyton." he leaned onto Peyton's desk and sighed. "Where do I go?"_

_Peyton stood up and wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning her face into his back. "You'll figure it out. One day at a time."_

"_I just can't go home and look at him."_

"_So, don't."_

_Nathan nodded and placed his hands on top of hers. "Thank you. You probably should have told me to leave."_

_Peyton remained silent and kept her arms around him._

…

_Nathan awoke the next morning in the tiny twin bed, his limbs clumsily tangled with Peyton's long legs. He rubbed his face and looked over at her peacefully sleeping._

_He couldn't help but feel grateful for her presence. _

_Nathan also knew he didn't deserve her being there for him. After all, all he had done to try and make amends with her was call constantly drunk and leave shitty voicemails. He hadn't attempted to talk to her in person._

_His 'fling' with Rachel - if you could even call it that fizzled out pretty quickly after the Prom and he had a few more flings here and there with girls from his college._

_At the time he felt like it was great - but late at night after everyone had gone home and he was alone, he felt a longing for familiarity. _

_Peyton stretched beside him, opening her eyes and furrowing her brows. _

_Never a morning person._

"_Hey." she said groggily, untangling herself from his limbs and sitting up in the bed. She leaned her back against the wall and closed her eyes again. "It takes me a minute."_

_He chuckled lightly and nodded. "I remember."_

_Peyton eventually got around to making them both some instant coffee and handing him a cold pop tart. _

_They ate together in silence. _

"_Will you go with me to my house?" his voice sounded desperate and almost childlike. Peyton had never seen Nathan be vulnerable except for rare fleeting moments. _

"_Of course."_

…

_Peyton sat down on the couch in the Scott's formal living room feeling out of place as always. She looked and saw family pictures of Nathan, Deb and Dan framed beautifully hanging on the walls. It made Peyton's heart clench in her chest._

_She remembered taking down all the pictures of her mother when she was eight years old. Hurt, bitter and feeling alone she didn't want to be reminded of her mother. It just made her heart ache._

_For her 12th birthday, Brooke had made copies of all the pictures and put them in a book so that Peyton didn't have to see them all the time, but could still look at them whenever she wanted._

_It was the best gift she had ever received. _

_She heard Dan and Nathan arguing in the next room. The sound of Nathan's voice started to get louder as he suddenly appeared in the room again. "You ready?"_

_Peyton nodded and walked behind him and Nathan stormed out of his father's house. "He's such a fucking piece of shit."_

"_Nathan-"_

"_No, he constantly treated her like fucking garbage. He never appreciated her and she just kept drinking and drinking." Tears started to stream down his face, again and he wiped them away in frustration. "He doesn't love anyone but himself." _

_Peyton nodded and rubbed his shoulders, soothingly. She didn't disagree with him, because she was sure he was right. He had openly admitted to marrying Deb because she was from a better family than Karen, who he also had a child with. _

_Her father had faults, oh so many faults, but she knew he loved her unconditionally. _

"_Hey, come on, let's go stay at my house."_

_Nathan nodded, following Peyton to her car. _

…

_Sleep never seemed to find Nathan that night, as he lay in bed beside Peyton listening to her breathe. There were so many things he wanted to say. So many things he wished he still had the opportunity to say. Moments like this, he felt, would be a new constant in his life. _

_He could barely remember the last conversation he had with his mom. He knew it wasn't anything heartwarming or fantastic, he may have even been mildly annoyed that she had called._

_He had to stop thinking of what ifs but right now, it's all that he could do._

_Looking at the mess of blonde curls next to him, gave him a sense of relief. Familiarity that he hadn't felt in so long. He was so grateful for her, in this moment, more than he had ever been._

…

_Author's Note: So, I really am incredibly sorry this update took so long. I haven't been able to find the time between work, meetings, etc to find time. I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint those who actually like the story...and those of you who do not, well...just don't read it. _


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: **I really do want to finish this fanfiction, haha. I swear I am either just too busy or too drained to continue it. If I had been smart, I would have finished the entire thing before I started uploading, but I digress. Hopefully you enjoy this chapter.

…

Nathan watched Peyton's reflection in the mirror, as he tightened his tie. He smiled at her turning his head over his shoulder and giving her a soft whistle. She laughed breathily and waved her hand at him. He grinned, again before turning back to the mirror. Evenings that Peyton had her art show were always nerve wracking for her. She got nervous and quiet, thinking too much.

"I really love that dress." he made eye contact with her in the mirror and grinned. "You look beautiful."

"You're a sap, I'm not having it." she joked, putting on one of her heels. "You're only saying that because you think it makes me feel better, when all it does is make me more nervous."

He laughed, turning around to face her, and leaned against the bathroom counter. "I can't help that you find me irresistible, that has nothing to do with me." he reached over and tucked a curl behind her ear, letting his finger linger over her ear lobe for a second. "However, that doesn't change how beautiful you look."

Peyton smiled and kissed the palm of his hand gently. "I love you, I don't know what I would do without you...except be on time."

"Are you trying to insinuate, while I am fully dressed, and you're just now putting on your shoes, with five other dresses strewn around the room, might I add...that I made us late?" he cocked his head to the side and grinned at her. "You're a lot of things, but I never thought I could call you delusional."

She rolled her eyes dramatically, slapping his chest with the black clutch in her hand. "You're the one still standing there, come on."

He chuckled, following her out of their bedroom and grabbing his keys.

…

Lucas leaned back in the seat of his car and let out a nervous breath. He hadn't seen Peyton since the day at her gallery a week ago. They had exchanged a few texts about her planning process and she had purposely avoided him when he was working with her assistant, Allison, a few days prior.

He felt, for a lack of a better term, crazy. He had no intention of making Peyton uncomfortable. He had no idea he even still had lingering feelings for her, if you could call it that. He had decided early on in college after having his first girlfriend that he had a crush on Peyton. After all, like she had said, he didn't know her.

They had exchanged some witty banter over Facebook the summer after high school, but it had ended abruptly a few weeks before their first semester of college had ended. He found out later, that was when Deb had died, and she and Nathan had gotten back together a few months later, like it should have been.

He also felt a nervousness in the pit of his stomach about seeing Nathan again. They had never been close, or what you would even call brotherly, but he was still his brother.

He had a nagging suspicion because the universe hated him, that he would also be running into Dan Scott.

He took another deep, shaky breath before opening the door of his car. Again, because the universe hated him, he saw Peyton and Nathan walking into the night club, hand-in-hand.

He decided to hang back a few minutes, and leaned against his car.

"Lucas?"

Glancing over his shoulder he saw a familiar cheerful brunette, grinning from ear-to-ear. "Hey Brooke."

"It's good to see you." she beamed at him, wrapping her jacket around her shoulders. "I was just about to head in, you up for walking me in?"

"Of course." he nodded offering her his arm.

…

Peyton was met by a frantic Allison before she could even get completely in the door. "First of all, YOU'RE LATE. I blame Nathan for this, but second of all...there's a very obvious lack of champagne."

Allison was tall, thin, and very frantic. Everything was a disaster according to her. Nathan had a very adverse opinion of her, which she ignored regularly, but she watched his jaw clench out of the corner of her eye.

"Allison. There's a bar downstairs. I'm sure we can buy wine or champagne from them, we'll pay more for it, but I'm sure it'll be fine."

She quirked her thin brow and crossed her arms over her stomach. "Okay, fine. I'll go talk to Owen, the manager, and see what he has to say."

Nathan smirked slightly rubbing the back of his head. "I'll go down the street to the wine store, if for some reason you can't buy it from TRIC."

Allison narrowed her eyes at Nathan and cleared her throat, spinning around to grab her clipboard. "I'll let you know if your services are needed."

Nathan shook his head, listening to her heels click against the floor as she walked, angrily, down the steps. "Have you ever mentioned to her that she wouldn't have a paycheck without me?"

"And lose that small bit of entertainment I get out of life? Absolutely not." Out of the corner of her eye she saw Lucas walking up the stairs, with her best friend on his arm. She felt an immediate pang of jealousy and confusion.

She pushed it away immediately and Brooke opened her arms and ran over to her. "P. Sawyer!" she grinned wrapping her arms around Peyton. "Surprise!"

"Brooke! I had no idea." She pulled away holding her forearms and smiling. "I can't believe you came from Califironia for this."

"Hush." She grinned, touching the ends of Peyton's hair. "Your husband should have told you."

Nathan shrugged and winked at Brooke before letting his eyes settle on Lucas. He reached out his hand to him, smiling. "Hey, man."

Lucas shook his hand quickly, feeling a small bit of relief. "Hey Nathan."

"Good to see you." Nathan nodded.

"Yeah, yeah you too."

Brooke quirked her brow and shrugged her shoulders looking back at Peyton. "So show me what I'm pretending to buy to run up the bid." She linked her arm with Peyton's and started to walk towards the art on the walls.

Nathan cleared his throat and looked around the room a bit. It was so much easier to fill awkward silences when he was drinking. This was almost unbearable. "So, Peyton said you write for Arts and Leisure?"

Lucas nodded, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, yeah. I started as just a sports writer, but they decided to expand the section and didn't want to hire anyone else." He chuckled softly. "Peyton said you're running Scott Motors, now."

"More or less."

"Keith also told me that you hired him on as a full time mechanic, with benefits and all that."

Nathan nodded putting his hands in the pockets of his slacks. "He's a great mechanic, and we needed one. Seemed like the right thing to do."

"It's made a lot of difference to my mom and Keith, so...thank you...for that."

Nathan's initial reaction was to be snarky, saying he didn't do it for him, or Keith for that matter, it was in his best interest as co-owner. He, however, knew that wasn't exactly true. Keith had always been kind to him. Even knowing he played a more active role in Lucas' life made no difference to Keith. He would always make a point to show up at Nathan's birthday parties where he never quite felt comfortable to bring Nathan a gift, and cheesy, but funny birthday card.

"Keith's done a lot for me, so…" he trailed off, rolling back on his heels. "How's your mom?"

Lucas grinned and shrugged. "She's good. She told me the other night she's pregnant. It's pretty weird to think of having a sibling in your mid 20's, but…" she stopped the conversation and cringed internally.

"Yeah that's awesome, though." Nathan nodded clearing his throat, again. There had been many times over the years he had thought about reaching out to Lucas. He had written him a letter when he was in therapy, but had never sent it. Apologizing for things he could have never changed, but also apologizing for things he could.

Nathan's eyes shifted to Allison and Dan coming through the doors, two boxes of champagne in hand. He walked over to the door quickly and took the box from Allison, relieved to leave the awkward conversation, but also gearing himself up for another, equally awkward encounter.

"Son." Dan said coldly, and nodding at him. His eyes drifted to Lucas, then back to Nathan giving him a questioning glance.

"Lucas is writing at article on Peyton's gallery." he shrugged his shoulders, nodding towards the table in the center of the room. "Just put the box down over there."

Dan nodded, following Nathan and putting the box down where he was instructed. "So Lucas, you write about overpriced shitty art for a living?"

"Jesus Christ." Nathan turned around and looked at Dan, eyes widened. "No one actually asked you to come, so you're welcome to leave."

Dan smirked shoving his hands in his pockets.

Lucas never met his eyes, instead he cleared his throat. "I'm going to take some pictures for my article."

Nathan nodded understandingly and looked back at Allison. "Let me help you find some glasses."

…

"Tell me I'm drunk, but is it wrong that I find Dan, somewhat irresistible, despite the fact he's a horrible human being?"

"You're drunk." Peyton dead panned.

Brooke smirked, taking a sip of champagne from the plastic flute. "That's totally possible."

Peyton rolled her eyes. "Let me go talk to Lucas, so he doesn't put that I hid in a corner with my drunk best friend all night in the article."

"Suuuuure…." Brooke slurred, quirking her eyebrow at Peyton. "That's the reason you're going to talk to him. Don't think I haven't noticed that he's beefed up since high school."

Peyton wrinkled her nose, rolling her eyes. "I'm married."

"But not dead!"

"You're impossible." she muttered before walking up to Lucas. He had his head tilted looking at a portrait painting on the wall. She slipped up beside him tilting her head as well. "What do you think?"

He turned his head and gave her a dimpled grin. "I told you I'm no art expert."

"You can still have an opinion."

He kept grinning and turned back to look at the painting. "It's nice."

She chuckled, taking a sip of her Fiji water, glancing around the room. "Thank you for coming, I know these events can be very...quiet. Boring, even."

"I hadn't ever been to an art show, it's pretty interesting. All sorts of walks of life come and go."

She nodded. "Art speaks many languages." Tucking a piece of loose hair behind her ear she looked to the painting again. "So, I don't want you to think I've been avoiding you…"

"But you've been avoiding me."

She chuckled lightly glancing at him again. "Maybe."

He nodded, glancing down at his shoes. "Blame the wine. I know, and respect that you're married."

She nodded her head and glanced back at Nathan, who was chatting up one of their investors. She looked back at Lucas again, noticing that his eyes were on Dan. "Can I tell you something?"

He nodded his head, meeting her eyes again.

"You're actually lucky. I've known Dan for a long time, and he fucked Nathan up for a long time, too." she glanced away from him and back at the painting. "I also know Keith and he's a great man. You were lucky to have him."

Lucas looked away from her and nodded. "I'm very lucky."

She smiled softly, feeling a dull ache in her chest before taking a step back. "Thank you, again for coming. If you need anything just call."

He nodded somberly. "Thank you."

Peyton made a beeline for Nathan and leaned into his side. Wrapping an arm around her waist, and kissing the side of her head and he began to include her in the conversation he was having with a very rich investor.

Peyton couldn't help but feel the dull ache in her chest for the rest of the night.

However, she had lost nothing at all.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: **I had a little inspiration for the next chapter and decided to go ahead and start writing it immediately after Chapter 5, so without any feedback or anything I'm going to write this chapter, haha. Hope you enjoy! I honestly think at this point, I'm finishing this fic for me. I have rarely ever finished a multi-length chapter fic and I'm determined to do it.

I do know, however, that this fic has a small, even microscopic audience and my lack of continuous updates don't help, however - I WILL FINISH THIS. I am determined, now more than ever.

…

"_I can't believe in less than 24 hours I'm going to be seeing my best friend!" Brooke's voice was bubbly and absolutely ecstatic on the other end of the line. "We are going to have SO much fun. I can't believe you're actually coming to California."_

_Peyton smiled in response to Brooke's happiness. She really was excited to go visit her best friend and just be free. "I can't wait."_

_Brooke started talking to someone in the background for a moment before Peyton heard her huff into the phone line. "My mother will be leaving in less than 2 hours and I'm also extremely excited about that."_

_Peyton laughed laying back on her bed and closing her eyes. "Brooke...before I get there I want to tell you something."_

"_Okay…" Brooke said slowly. Peyton could imagine the look of confusion and worry on her face._

_Peyton hesitated a moment, not knowing exactly how to tell Brooke about Nathan. Ever since Deb had passed away, Nathan had become a fixture in her dorm room, and even her home back in Tree Hill. They spent most of their time together._

_He had been drinking heavily, but always seemed to mellow out around Peyton. She felt like that was a win. _

"_So, you know Nathan's mom died."_

"_Mhm." she responded. _

"_Nathan, well...he's been staying with me. A lot."_

"_Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer! We are __**not **__going through another Nathan phase, I absolutely refuse."_

_Peyton rolled her eyes and laughed softly. "Brooke. It's not a Nathan phase, we're just friends. I'm spending 3 months with you in California. Do you honestly think if Nathan was still my boyfriend that would be happening?"_

_Brooke was silent for a moment. Peyton could practically hear her thinking over the line before she mumbled. "Whatever, as long as your skinny ass is on that plane tomorrow morning."_

"_I can't imagine being anywhere else."_

…

_Nathan watched Peyton packing her bags carefully, leaning in the doorway of her bedroom. He felt a pang of sadness in his chest, looking away at the paintings covering her wall. "Three whole months, huh?"  
_

"_Mhm." Peyton said, distractedly, folding her swimsuit. "All summer."_

_Nathan looked back at her and cleared his throat. "And you're sure it's okay that I stay here?"_

_Peyton nodded, finally looking up at him. "Yeah, I mean...it's better than the house sitting empty all summer, just begging someone to come in and steal my precious artwork."_

_He chuckled softly walking into her bedroom and lifting one of her bags and sitting it by the door. "That's it."_

_Peyton could smell a faint smell of beer on his breath but turned her head away. "My dad said to call him if you needed groceries and he would send money, just like he would me."_

"_I'll survive."_

_Peyton nodded at him and met his eyes, finally. "Nathan...are you drinking?"_

_Nathan glanced away from her looking out of her window and shrugged his shoulders. "I'm alright." _

_Peyton decided to drop the subject. Who was she to tell him how to grieve? "You're still going to drop me off at the airport?"_

"_Of course." he said simply, meeting her eyes again. "I'm heading to bed. I'll see you bright and early." _

…

_Nathan lugged the last of Peyton's five bags out of the back of his car, shutting the trunk. "That's all of them."_

"_Seems like." she met his eyes and smiled awkwardly. "I'll see you in three months." _

_Nathan nodded and stepped towards her, wrapping his arms around her waist. He felt her wrap her arms around his shoulders and rested her chin on his shoulder. He pulled away giving her a smile. "I'll miss you." he admitted, his voice low._

_She pulled away and nodded. "Me too."_

_Before he lost his nerve, Nathan leaned down and pressed his lips against Peyton's. Her lips were soft against his, but only for a moment before she pulled away. He backed away instantly dropping his hands at his sides. "Sorry."_

"_Yeah…" Peyton leaned down and picked up her bags quickly. "See ya."_

_Nathan watched Peyton disappear into the airport. He felt sick to his stomach. He had ruined the only decent relationship he had left in his life._

…

_After checking her bags, Peyton sat in the airport terminal, her mind reeling. Why had Nathan just kissed her? Had she made him think she was interested in getting back together with him? She felt nauseated. _

_She never wanted to lead Nathan on and make him feel worse about himself. _

_She opened her phone and started a text_

_Hey…_

_**Erase.**_

_Nathan, I'm so sorry if I gave you the wrong_

_**Erase.**_

_Peyton turned off her phone so she didn't have to think about it on her six hour flight to California._

…

_Nathan sat on Peyton's porch, opening a bottle of beer. He felt like sulking, without a doubt. He grabbed the phone out of his pocket, hoping for a text from Peyton._

_Nothing._

_He opened their text thread and started to type. _

_Peyton, I'm sorry, it wasn't-_

_**Erase.**_

_Hey, call me when you get to-_

_**Erase.**_

_Text me and let me know you made it, ok._

_**Send.**_

…

_Brooke squealed loudly when she saw Peyton coming down the escalator at LAX. She jumped up and down excitedly clapping her hands. She had a sign that read "P. Sawyer" but it was completely unnecessary, due to her excited squeals. _

"_Hiiiiiiii!" she wrapped her arms around Peyton knocking her slightly aback. "I can't believe you're here!"  
_

_Peyton chuckled patting Brooke's back due to the bags in her arms. "I'm here, I'm here."_

_Brooke talked animatedly with Peyton while they collected her bags and put them into the back of her car. She talked excitedly about all the projects she had been working on. Peyton felt horrible but she couldn't remember what clothing company Brooke worked for now. She had started at Gucci but it was all lost on her after that. She knew it was a smaller company where she had more creative control and say in the clothing._

"_So, anyway, I made you a dress for us to go out tonight. Thankfully you're still skinny A-F." _

_Peyton chuckled, reaching in her pocket and turning on her phone for the first time, feeling a sense of dread in the pit of her stomach. "I can't wait."_

"_Sooooo, tell me everything." _

_Peyton felt her phone buzz in her hand, she glanced down and saw Nathan's name flash across the screen. She shoved the phone back in her pocket, shrugging her shoulders. "I passed all my classes, I went on two really horrible dates, and I hate dorm food."_

_Brooke rolled her eyes dramatically. "You're so boring Peyton Elizabeth."_

…

_Tim looked over at Nathan before pouring him another cup of cheap liquor. "You and Peyton not dating is actually worse than ya'll dating, somehow. You're sulkier." _

_Nathan chuckled, drinking a sip of the whiskey. He cringed a little and then closed his eyes. "I'm not sulking. She's just been really cool about everything."_

_Tim shrugged his shoulders and took a long sip of the bottle and belched loudly. "Yeah man, I feel ya."_

_Nathan chuckled and stood up, stumbling a bit. "Imma roll out, man." _

"_Alright." he slapped his hand with Nathan's closing the bottle. "See ya later."_

_Nathan nodded, leaving Tim's house and starting to walk back to Peyton's house. He looked at his phone for the millionth time tonight. He finally saw Peyton's name at the top of the screen. _

"_I made it! :)" _

_Nathan chewed his lip, putting the phone back in his pocket. _

_This was unlike him. He had never been one to feel nervous around a girl, especially Peyton. He knew he had royally screwed up with Peyton in high school, and he had been lucky to have her now. _

_He screwed everything up, always._

_Sitting on the steps outside Peyton's house, he scrolled through Instagram. He saw a picture of Peyton posted on Brooke's instagram. She had on a tight blue dress with studs around the bust. Nathan quirked his brow before reading the caption._

_The best of the best. My bestie wearing a Brooke Davis original #bffs #takingsummerbystorm_

_Nathan clicked on Peyton's normally dead instagram, and saw that she had uploaded a selfie of her and Brooke laughing, Brooke leaning her head on Peyton's shoulder with her eyes closed. _

_The caption was simple, very Peyton. 'I missed this one'_

_Nathan double tapped on the picture before closing his phone._

…

"_Sooooo when are you going to tell me what's on your mind?" Brooke inquired as she and Peyton walked home from the club. They had spent most of the night laughing and dancing. However much fun they were having, she knew Peyton was dealing with something, she just wasn't sure what._

_Peyton glanced over at her best friend and sighed. "You're gonna be mad."_

_Brooke rolled her eyes bumping her hip into Peyton's. "Come on."_

"_When Nathan dropped me off at the airport, he kissed me."_

_Brooke nodded, looking ahead. "Do you think you like him, again?"_

_Peyton shrugged her shoulders. "I don't think it's about that. I think he just doesn't know how to be my friend. We've never really been friends."_

"_Well...do you want to be more than friends?"_

"_I don't know, dude." Peyton laughed lightly leaning her head back. "Why are guys such jerks?"_

"_Human nature." Brooke smirked. "So, I hate Nathan, you know this." she cleared her throat and laughed huskily. "However, I know you really care about him, you always have. You should text him."_

"_Maybe."_

…

_Peyton rubbed her temples opening and closing her eyes, staring at her phone._

_nscott23 liked your photo._

_Peyton opened her text thread and bit her lip, trying to find the words to text him, and finally decided on something simple._

_Having a great time, but I miss you._

…

_Nathan drummed his thumb against his chest, waiting for sleep to overtake his body. He had been laying in the same position, on the pullout sofa at Peyton's house for 3 hours, staring blankly at the ceiling above him. _

_He picked up his phone, hoping to see anything from Peyton and was actually surprised to see her name on the screen. He read her text and immediately felt relief. Maybe he hadn't screwed up so bad, after all._

_I miss you, too. PS. You need a new sofa. _


End file.
